Student Voices (Ms. Enkhbold Maralgua)

Ms. Enkhbold Maralgua　※Using “Pre-arrival-Admission”

A key factor in developing my interest in Japan is coming from my studies of the history of the Japanese economy from the 19^th to the 20^th centuries and I found the Japanese culture and economy quite attractive. I learned how the nation rose to achieve swift economic growth after emerging from the post-World War II recession, elevating the quality of its goods and services and earning the trust of the world. It was my impression that in addition to the economic policies in force at that time, this recovery was also deeply linked to Japan’s distinctive cultural background. Such thoughts inspired my desire to study economics at a Japanese university.

I am currently studying at the Keio University Faculty of Economics. The standard I applied when selecting a university of study was that the school offers highly specialized knowledge, along with opportunities to accumulate global experience. From around my second year in high school, I began to structure my studies with the idea of taking college entrance examinations. From my third year, I moved into full-scale preparations to apply for the EJU. Because some contents of the EJU tend to overlap with the university entrance examinations taken by Japanese students, I used YouTube, related websites and other sources to collect information on the exams.

Allow me to briefly summarize the methods I used to study for my examination subjects. For Mathematics, I began by answering the questions presented in “Basic Math Formulas Part 1 +A.” With the contents of the exam resembling the curriculum in my native Mongolia, I was also able to apply the details of my own classes while utilizing the aforementioned reference. In my opinion, rather than relying on a large number of reference texts, repeated use of a single reference to fully master the contents can be the key to scoring higher on the exam.
Next, in studying for the “Japan and the World” test, I relied upon the “EJU High Level” workbook. However, because the contents of this subject are almost different from my curriculum in Mongolia, I advise applicants to begin their studies for this phase of the exam from early on.
Finally, it is critical to review your reference texts over and over again.

Upon first arriving in Japan, everything was refreshing and new, and I felt truly happy and filled with expectations about what was to come. About a month after university classes began, I got accustomed to my new lifestyle here, founding it possible to concentrate on my studies. My own experience has been that Japanese universities offer generous support for international students, including a wide range of advice until we adapt to our new living situations. As a result, I feel there are no particular concerns in coming to Japan.
However, international students must also work hard to raise their Japanese language skills. This is important for dealing with the various assignments, grasping the contents of classes to keep up with the Japanese students and score well on tests. Please remember that even if earning high scores on the EJU or the Japanese Language Proficiency Test , you may face with difficulties to grasp the details of the actual lectures, how to write reports or prepare assignments. Therefore, I recommend the international students to work hard to raise their language skills before leave for Japan.

I found the Pre-arrival Admission system to be extremely beneficial for two key reasons.
First, you can save the travel and lodging expenses to take the EJU in Japan. Accessing university websites, I was able to gather the necessary information on entrance examinations, actually take the required tests in my own country and send in related documents. This accounted for major financial savings.
Second, the ability to lower costs and shorten the examination period also make it possible to apply to other universities. Thanks to using the Pre-arrival Admission system, I was able to take the exams for two different schools. In addition, I also applied for admission to two separate academic departments at Keio University (the Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Business and Commerce), and was accepted at both.

I recommend to begin early to check the websites of universities in which you are interested and confirm whether the desired academic departments use the Pre-arrival Admission. When doing so, please pay close attention to the application period for Pre-Arrival Admission, which is often set earlier than the regular application schedule.
Depending on the university, the Pre-arrival Admissions is determined sometimes on the basis of document screening. Therefore, in addition to examination scores, it is important to prepare all of the required documents. Whatever the case, I advise all students to waste no time in advancing effective exam preparations.